1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an indicator device for a camera on which various kinds of information related to conditions for photography can be displayed, and more specifically relates to an indicator device for a camera on which, by a rotatable pointer being moved against a plate inscribed with a graduated scale, various kinds of information related to conditions for photography can be displayed.
2. Related Background Art
There is already known, per se, a dial type rotating indicator device for a camera, for displaying the values of various information related to conditions for photography such as shutter speed, aperture (F-stop), etc., and for setting these parameters according to the displayed values thereof. Further, an indicator device for a camera is also per se well known, which displays various information related to conditions for photography such as shutter speed, aperture (F-stop), etc. on a liquid crystal type display.
However, if a display device of the rotatable dial type or of the liquid crystal type is mounted on the upper surface or on the rear surface of a camera, then since the area of these surfaces is limited it is necessary to utilize a small size display device, and the problem arises that because the characters on the display are small it becomes difficult to read out the information which is being displayed.
In order to solve this problem relating to a display device for a camera, it has been conceived of in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/920,674, which is assigned to the same assignee as is the present application and which it is not intended hereby to admit as prior art to the present application except to the extent in any case mandated by applicable law, to display various information relating to conditions for photography using an indicator device of the type used in a clock or watch, i.e. using an indicator device comprising a plate with a graduated scale and a pointer which is rotationally moved against this scale by a stepper motor. A clock type indicator device of this sort can be produced which is small in size and light in weight, and thereby a small sized and reasonably priced indicator device for a camera can be provided.
However, a requirement for any indicator device of this general type is that it should be calibrated: in other words, that the scale should be graduated with a certain number of inscribed index marks, against which symbols should be written to make clear the values which they denote. The problem arises with an indicator device for a camera, that since the space available is inevitably very restricted it is virtually impossible to write the appropriate symbol against every index mark, without making the writing so small that it is very hard to see. Accordingly, some of the index marks are almost constrained to remain without explanatory symbols, and this means that difficulty may arise for the user of the camera in trying to interpret the significance of these index marks.